


Dinner Party

by longhairshortfuse



Series: food based fics [1]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 02:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4122234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairshortfuse/pseuds/longhairshortfuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil is cooking for a dinner party in his new home.<br/>(AU where Cecil moves to be with Carlos)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [valda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/valda/gifts).



> Cosleia said: "Earl saying #9 to whomever you choose"  
> Prompt set #460  
> "I'm not brave enough for it."

Cecil bounced from foot to foot, shifting his weight rapidly and with the fluidity of a dancer. Carlos sat on a high stool at the breakfast bar, watching and smiling.  
"I hope he likes it. Do you think he'll like it?" Cecil cast a glance behind, meeting Carlos's goofy grin with a slight tight-lipped frown.  
"Honey, he'll love it." He slipped down and gave Cecil a brief hug from behind, arms around Cecil's waist, and a kiss on the ear. Cecil giggled and squirmed away.  
"You'll put me off! Carlo-o-os!" Cecil complained. "This is a tricky bit, look at the recipe, I have to _remove the skin from the squash in one piece and discard securely_ before I _cut open and remove the stringy viscera cleanly_ Want to help? You could hold it still?"  
Carlos backed away, muttering _no no no_ and sat behind the protection of the breakfast bar.

Cecil shrugged and peered at the recipe again as he wielded his new kitchen knife with, Carlos thought, surprising accuracy. Carlos watched, eyebrows up and eyes wide.  
“Wow, you’re good with knives! Where did you learn that?”  
Cecil grinned. “I was a scout once. Earl taught me. Oh! When do you think he will arrive? He’s bringing Roger, right? What do children eat?”  
Carlos laughed. “They will be here soon. I said to text when they reached the radio station. I have never studied the eating habits of children so I do not know for sure what children eat. My initial observations suggest a diet rich in refined sugars and fat is particularly attractive to them.”  
“Dammit,” Cecil sighed. “I should have made cookies. Everyone likes cookies.”

Cecil’s phone chimed. Cecil froze and stared at it, fingers sticky and delving into the squash which had stopped protesting. He turned to look at Carlos, holding up hands covered in squash entrails.  
“Want me to see what that was, honey?” Carlos offered.  
“Yes please!” Carlos picked up Cecil’s phone and read the message.  
“It’s him, he says he can see the radio mast. Want me to text back directions or go out and meet them?” Carlos watched Cecil think, smiling at the way his head tilted to the right and his eyes turned up, as if looking for the answer in the corner of the kitchen.  
“Hmm, yeah.” Cecil nodded.  
Carlos laughed. “Which, text directions or go meet?”  
“Text them directions,” Cecil replied. “I need your help with the nutmeg.” Cecil pointed to a paper bag on the draining board. Carlos wasn’t completely sure that the bag wasn’t moving.  
“Um, Ceece, are you sure this recipe is vegan?”

 

Twenty minutes later, as Cecil closed the oven door with a firm click and locked it, a voice called through their apartment.  
“Hi, anybody home? Ceece?”  
Carlos stood aside, Cecil skipped through to the little hallway.  
“Earl! Come in, come in, door’s open for you. Oh! You must be Roger!” Cecil stuck out his hand. Roger stared at it. “Nice to meet you Roger. I’m sorry I didn’t make cookies, but dinner should be ready soon.”  
Earl nudged his son’s shoulder. “Roger? Remember what we do when we meet people?” Roger touched Cecil’s hand and drew back behind Earl, peering out around his father’s protection. “Ah he’s shy. Good to see you again, Ceece. Hi Carlos, how are you?”  
Earl hugged Cecil for just a second and shook hands with Carlos.

After an hour of settling in for Earl and Roger, catching up on news from Night Vale for Cecil and discussing life in the new settlement, Cecil’s countdown timer alarm went off. At the [tune](http://youtu.be/v5aur6XEfz0)  Cecil leapt up and turned off the oven. He called over, “I hope you like this! I made it all with Carlos around for backup just in case the wild nutmeg... It is quite intimidating, inviting a chef to dinner!”  
Earl laughed. “I’m sure it will be lovely, whatever it is. You learned a lot when I did that cooking segment on your old show.”  
Carlos smiled. “Cecil put so much work into dinner. It’s practically science! I never knew cooking could be so scientific.”

Cecil unlocked the oven and opened it. Carlos ushered Earl and Roger to the dining table. A few minutes later, Cecil deposited plates in front of everyone and disappeared again. He returned with a serving dish full of spicy squash, which Carlos served equally onto everyone’s plates. Roger looked at his, sniffed it, poked it with a finger. He looked up at Earl. Earl laughed.  
“You go first, son. I’m not brave enough for it.”


End file.
